


Beginning at the End: Ignis

by Ithiel_Dragon



Series: Beginning at the End [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Feels, Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Denial of Feelings, Drama, Emotional Constipation, Explicit Sexual Content, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, M/M, Major Character Injury, On Hiatus, One-Sided Attraction, Romance, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-05-11
Packaged: 2019-04-23 04:58:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14325099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ithiel_Dragon/pseuds/Ithiel_Dragon
Summary: Against his better judgement, Noctis decides to remain in the past, unable to pass up the chance to prevent Ignis from becoming injured and losing his eyesight.  However the task may prove far more difficult than he ever imagined.





	1. Chapter 1

He’s in the throne room at the citadel in Insomnia.  He hadn’t seen it in more than ten years. Not since he and his three friends stood before the throne of his father while Noctis officially bid farewell to his old life.  He’d always thought the the throne room was majestic, if a little intimidating. The huge ceilings giving the room a cavernous feel, and perpetually cloaked in shadows despite the huge windows behind the throne. 

The room looked far from as grand as he remembered.  The once ornate walls were crumbling ruins. There was no ceiling, as though a huge explosion had taken out the entire citadel except for this room, leaving everything exposed like bones of a carcass. The sky above was dark.  No moon. No stars. Yet somehow Noctis had no trouble seeing.

He stood at the base of the stairs leading up to the throne above.  In the place where his father once sat, there was a skeleton. It’s flesh long rotted away, leaving only small dusty scraps of tendons clinging to the bones.  What clothes were on the skeleton were hardly better than ancient rags, but Noctis could still tell they had once been the kingly raiments his father wore during important events. 

It was not hard to guess whom the skeleton on the throne belonged to. 

Noctis felt simultaneously horrified and intrigued as he made his way slowly up the stairs to the throne.  He felt almost as though the corpse was beckoning him, even though it hadn’t moved. Even before he made it fully up the steps he saw that the skeleton had a sword driven through its chest, holding the remains pinned to the back of the throne.  The sword was rusted and barely recognizable, but on further inspection he realized it was his father’s sword.

He looked into the hollow holes of the skeleton’s skull and they seemed to mock him.

“I’m sorry, my son…” a voice whispered behind him and he slowly turned.  His father stood there, looking exactly the same as the last time Noctis had seen him, but the expression on the older man’s face was far sadder than Noctis ever remembered.  His father couldn’t seem to look him in the eye.

“For what?” Noctis finally asked.  But his father didn’t answer. Instead Noctis was suddenly grabbed from behind.  Noctis tried to struggle but the grip on him was stronger than iron. His hands came up to tear away the arms holding him, but his hands curled around cold brittle bones instead of flesh and blood.  Horrified, Noctis increased his struggles, but it did little good.

“Father!  Help me! Please!” he cried out as the skeleton pulled him back towards the throne and forced him to sit on it.  The skeletal fingers clawed into his skin brutally to keep him in place, leaving streaks of red along his arms and chest. His father simply stood there.  Watching but not coming to his aid.

Eventually Regis raised his arm and Noctis saw the sword in his hand. The exact sword that had once been impaled in the skeleton. 

“No!  Please!” Noctis cried desperately but his pleas fell on deaf ears. 

“I’m sorry,” his father said again, his face wet with tears, but that didn’t stop the older man from driving the sword into Noctis’ heart.

* * *

Noctis woke with a start.  His breath caught on a scream in his throat, and his fingers clawed at his chest in pain.  His eyes were wild as they whipped around the room, attempting to get his bearings. Sweat coated his skin, making him feel clammy, and the bed sheets tangled around him were restricting, only making him panic more.  It took him far longer than it should have to realize where he was.

Not in Insomnia.  Not in the throne room where his father killed him.  Lestallum, hotel room, and he was alive… for now. Noctis closed his eyes and slumped back onto the bed, relief warring against his still racing heart.  He continued to rub at his chest absently at the phantom pain as he took one deep breath after another, attempting to regain control of himself.

A dream.  Just a dream. Except… he knew it wasn’t.  The Astrals had shown him similar ‘visions’ before about his future while he'd been trapped inside the crystal.  In their own way attempting to prepare him for what he must do. Though such visions had rarely been so… gruesome… before. 

Still, it served its purpose, he supposed.  As a reminder that he was fated to die.

Noctis shivered.

It was then that the door to the en-suite bathroom opened and Gladio appeared in a cloud of steam.  For a guy who was always harping on the joys of outdoor living, Gladio sure enjoyed his scalding hot showers whenever the opportunity arose.  Noctis wasn’t sure how he did it. His flesh would probably melt off his bones if he ever tried taking a shower with Gladio.

The mental image of flesh melting from bones was definitely not what he needed right now, and Noctis firmly pushed it away.  At least the sight of his attractive shield standing there in nothing but a too small towel wrapped around his waist was appealing.  The worried frown on the older man’s face was less so.

“Noct?  You okay?” Gladio asked as he approached the bed and sat down on the edge, reaching over to push some of Noctis’ sweaty hair off his forehead. 

“Yeah… just… bad dream,” Noctis admitted, knowing the other man probably wouldn’t believe it if he said he was _completely_ fine, given his obviously flustered state.  Gladio looked at him thoughtfully for a few moments.

“Want to talk about it?” he offered. 

 _Definitely not_ , Noctis thought.  Though of course he didn’t say that.

“Prompto’s singing,” he said instead, making Gladio snort partially in amusement and partially in disbelief.  But apparently he wasn’t going to push the issue.

“Fine,” he replied, and leaned down to kiss Noctis slowly.  He could taste the slightly minty flavor of the toothpaste Gladio used and a few drops of water landed on his face from his shield’s still damp hair.  Noctis moaned softly in appreciation, wrapping his arms loosely around the other man’s shoulders. Unfortunately, Gladio pulled back far too soon for his liking. 

“Stay,” Noctis demanded with a pout, hoping his ‘puppy dog’ expression would convince the other man to continue what he’d been doing.  He could definitely use the distraction right now. Gladio shook his head slightly.

“Would love to, but I gotta meet Iggy and Prompto downstairs in a few minutes.  Got a few hunts lined up we wanna knock out before lunch time,” Gladio said and stood, though he looked sincerely regretful to be doing so at least.  Noctis gave the other man a sullen look, which only made his shield laugh warmly.

“Don’t look at me like that.  I promise I’ll come back and ravish you when we’re done,” he said with a grin, and started pulling on his clothes. Which was both pleasing, since first the towel had to go, but also disappointing when the trousers were pulled up over his shapely ass.  Gladio continued to talk while he was dressing, “Besides, you won’t be alone. I got you a babysitter.”

Noctis frowned.

“Babysitter?”

Gladio pulled on his leather jacket over his bare chest, but left it open as usual, then turned to face Noctis again.

“Iris will be up in about an hour.  So do me a favor and put on some pants before she gets here?” Gladio said with a raised eyebrow.  Noctis sighed heavily.

“Fine,” he replied.  Gladio grinned at him.

“Good.  I’ll make it worth your while.  See you later, beautiful,” Gladio said, giving him a wink but regretfully didn’t stop to kiss him again before leaving. Probably because he knew Noctis would cling to him, demand more, and Gladio would probably give it to him, making Prompto and Ignis wait.  Damn his shield for knowing him too well. Noctis sighed again and stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully. At least the time alone might help him gather his thoughts a little.

He was still more than a little shaken from the dream, but unfortunately that wasn’t his only concern.  Noctis reached up to touch his face, even though he knew there was no blood currently smeared there. If there had been, Gladio definitely wouldn’t have been so calm this morning.  Probably would have dragged Noctis back to the hospital by the scruff of his neck in a panic if he’d seen him last night. Thankfully Gladio slept like the dead and hadn’t woken during that time.

Noctis honestly wasn’t sure whether to be concerned or not.  It had only been a nosebleed. Nothing all that life threatening under normal circumstances, even though it hadn’t seemed to want to stop on its own. After several minutes Noctis had finally caved and snuck a potion out of Gladio’s belongings to use. It had stopped after that and hadn’t started again.  So… probably nothing?

But Noctis couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling the incident left with him.  He remembered vividly how Ignis had described what had happened to him after the fight with the griffon.  How he’d collapsed and blood began pouring from eyes, nose, even ears, and wouldn’t stop. Noctis had never really been prone to random nosebleeds before, so it was reasonable to assume his most recent one was somehow related.  But it could have just as easily been a fluke and he didn’t want to panic his friends again if there was no need.

If it _was_ somehow related, what had started it?  The doctors had said he’d been bleeding internally and even with potions and elixirs the strange lacerations inside of him had healed and continued to reopen continuously.  It had taken several days, and many many potions, before the wounds remained closed. Could it be that he wasn’t cured after all and it had just taken longer for the wounds to reopen again?  Or was it something else? He had assumed his strange condition was a result of somehow using the crystal’s magic without the Ring of the Lucii, even though his father had never described such a thing happening to him before, but maybe… it was something else?

Noctis groaned and scrubbed tiredly at his face.  There was just too much he didn’t know, and really, he had bigger things to worry about right now than random nosebleeds.  If it happened again… maybe then he would worry. But until then… maybe he should buy a personal stock of potions for himself just in case.  Ignis would definitely notice if potions kept going missing without his knowledge. In fact, he should probably replace the one he’d used from Gladio’s stock last night before the older man found out.  Maybe he could do that today while he was out with Iris.

As though summoned by his thoughts, Noct heard a soft knock on the door followed by the young woman’s voice on the other side.

“Noctis?  Are you awake?”

Noctis cursed softly and quickly leapt up from the bed to pull on some pants.  


	2. Chapter 2

It always seemed to be too hot in Lestallum, and today was no exception.  But after ten years inside the crystal, and returning to a world that was nothing but cold and dark, Noctis decided he was never going to complain about it being too sunny or warm ever again. 

He and Iris strolled leisurely through the open marketplace, simply enjoying the pleasant atmosphere.  Iris made small talk, which Noctis had never been good at, and still wasn’t, but he still listened attentively and nodded or hummed at the right places.  While Iris looked around at a small stand filled with various jewelry and other trinkets, Noctis purchased several potions from a nearby stall with the last of his Gil and pocketed the small bottles before Iris noticed.  

All in all it was a rather nice, and lazy, day.  It felt good to be able to get out and walk around without having to look over his shoulder constantly.  Eventually they ended up near the overlook where Iris bought a couple pastries from a nearby vendor and surprised him by handing him one. 

“No, thank you.  I’m fine…” he tried to protest. It looked delicious but he didn’t want her to waste her money on him, knowing she probably didn’t have that much to begin with.

“Take it, I insist.  Think of it as a gift from your future sister-in-law,” she said teasingly, and giggled when Noctis blushed brightly.

Not knowing what else to do, he took the treat and was unable to contain the hum of enjoyment that escaped his throat when he bit into the flaky crust sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Iris laughed at him, a dusting of sugar staining her cheek from her own pastry.

“Told you,” she said brightly, swinging her legs against the low wall she was perched upon. Noctis nodded, staring out in the distance towards the Disk of Cauthess where the Titan once rested.  Iris watched him thoughtfully for a few moments before speaking again.

“Speaking of… is it serious?” she asked, almost hesitantly.  Noctis turned to her and raised an eyebrow, not understanding at first until she elaborated, “Between you and my brother?”

“Oh…” he said, knowing he was blushing again but unable to help it, “Um… I think so? We haven’t really… talked about it.”

Iris rolled her eyes a little at his admission. 

“Figures.  Men,” she scoffed, only half teasing.  Though in his defense a lot had been going on lately so there hadn’t been all that much time for him to talk with Gladio.  Not to mention that until last night he’d been fully prepared to break it off completely with the older man, afraid of the consequences for the future if he didn’t put things back ‘the way they belonged’.  Honestly, Noctis was still afraid of that, but the idea of breaking it off with Gladio now… made his heart twist so painfully it was difficult to breathe.

He was pulled from his thoughts when Iris took his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. 

“Hey, don’t worry so much.  My big brute of a brother is completely head-over-heels for you.  He has been for a long time I think. Kind of obvious now, looking back, the way he used to talk about you,” Iris said thoughtfully, her eyes kind as she watched him, “I’m very happy.  For both of you. Buuuuut…”

The way her last word trailed off and the half playful/half stern expression she leveled on him had Noctis laughing nervously in spite of himself.

“Is this the part where you tell me if I break his heart, you have a shotgun and shovel ready?” he asked, only half joking.

“I would never do that,” she said sweetly, then smiled in a way that actually gave him chills, “There wouldn’t be enough of you left to bury.”

Noctis blinked, and Iris suddenly burst out laughing, nearly falling off her perch, until he reached out to steady her. 

“Oh!  You should have seen your face!” she said, still giggling.  Noctis grinned sheepishly.

“Can’t help it.  You Amicitia’s are terrifying,” he replied.  She giggled again and leaned over to kiss him playfully on the cheek.

“Don’t you forget it,” she said. 

Their conversation was interrupted by a sudden loud blaring car horn and the sound of screeching tires.  It was followed by frantic shouts that seemed to be drawing a lot of attention from the surrounding crowd.

“What the hell?” he said, as he and Iris made their way quickly towards the commotion.  There was a young woman who looked kind of familiar to Noctis talking rapidly to one of the local tipsters, who was on his phone.  They both looked rather frantic. That didn’t bode well. Noctis quickly pushed his way to the front of the growing crowd. The tipster noticed him and a relieved look passed over his face before he hung up his phone.

“You!  You’re a hunter, right?” he demanded, and then suddenly all eyes were on Noctis.

“Uh… yeah?” he replied.  The woman finally turned to him, tears streaming down her face, and Noctis realized she was one of the nurses from the hospital, “What’s going on?”

“Please, you have to help! We were in the woods near the mines gathering potion supplies.  I know the mines are dangerous because of the daemons and normally we never go there without a hunter but our stocks were nearly depleted! We couldn’t wait! We thought it would be safe as long as we didn’t go into the mines themselves but… the area has been so unstable because of the recent quakes.  There was a cave in beneath us and… my friends… I don’t know if they’re even alive…” as the nurse brokenly explained the situation, Noctis felt himself go cold.

It was happening again.  He _knew_ this hadn’t happened before, but it was happening now because he had _changed_ things.  All because he had gotten hurt and it had taken nearly the entire hospital’s stock of potions to heal him.  Now these people were in danger, perhaps already dead, and it was _his_ fault.  He had to do something.

“All right, I’ll help,” he agreed quickly and the young nurse looked like she wanted to embrace him.

“Oh, thank you!  Thank you!”

Iris on the other hand did not looked pleased by his decision.

“Noct! You only got out of the hospital yesterday and you nearly collapsed last night!” she protested, and the tipster looked at him doubtfully.

“Are you sure you can handle this?  I can try to get some other hunters here…” the man began, but they both knew that might take a while.  Time the people trapped with the daemons did not have.

“I’m fine,” he said firmly to both Iris and the tipster.  Iris’ lips pressed into a thin line but she didn’t argue again.  The tipster nodded.

“All right, I’ll keep trying to raise some other hunters anyway and send them your way to help,” he said and Noctis nodded, then turned to the nurse wringing her hands anxiously.

“Where do I need to go?” he asked.

“I can take you in my truck, it’ll be faster that way,” she offered.  Noctis nodded since the others had taken the Regalia when they left this morning and the trip would probably be faster by car than by chocobo.  He followed the nurse quickly to her vehicle and jumped in the back. He wasn’t expecting Iris to climb into the back with him.

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like? I’m coming with you,” she replied stubbornly. 

“Iris, no.  Gladio would kill me if I let anything happen to you,” Noctis tried to protest, only to receive a glare from the younger Amicitia worthy of her big brother.

“What do you think he’ll do if I let anything happen to _you_?” she asked him incredulously, but didn’t let him reply, “I’m not a little girl anymore, Noctis.  I don’t need you or Gladdy to protect me. I’ve been training with Monica and I’m an Amicitia. I can handle myself.”

She had a point, and she _had_ handled herself pretty well when she’d been traveling with them to Cape Caem.  Noctis sighed in defeat.  They were merely wasting time arguing and that wasn't going to help anyone.  He nodded to the nurse to start driving.

“Gladio’s going to kill us both,” he muttered.

“Probably,” Iris agreed, though she didn’t sound too concerned over it. 

The drive to the location was short but anxious.  The mines had been in use till only recently when daemon attacks in the tunnels began to escalate far beyond that the local hunters could handle. There was still a lot of equipment left nearby.  The investors probably still hoped that one day soon the mines could be reopened. The nurse brought them to the site of the cave in and Noctis peered into the deep dark hole in the ground with trepidation.  The flashlights they had didn’t penetrate very far into the darkness. There was no sound inside, neither human nor daemon. That wasn’t a very promising sign. But they still had to be sure. He turned to Iris.

“Ready?” he asked.  She looked a little nervous but she nodded firmly and took something from her pocket.  It seemed like a plain metal rod until she snapped her wrist and it extended into a kind of bo staff that emitted electric sparks from the ends.  Noctis nodded in approval.

“All right.  I’ll go down first, see how far it is.  If we find any survivors, your job is to get them out as quickly as possible,” he told Iris who nodded again.  He looked at the nurse next, “How many are we looking for?”

“Five,” she answered.  Noctis nodded in understanding and warped down.

Turned out, it wasn’t as far down as he’d feared.  It was possible those who’d fallen down the hole had survived the fall. Whether or not they’d survived the daemons was another story.  Noctis panned his flashlight around the dark cave. He could see a lot of fallen rocks and broken equipment, there were a few splatters of what looked like fresh blood, but no bodies.  When daemons were involved though that could mean anything. He called up to Iris to let her know she could come down. She dropped down easily and landed gracefully. Noctis couldn’t help but be impressed.

Since the fallen debris had effectively blocked off one end of the tunnel, at least there was only one way to go. 

“Stay quiet,” he ordered.  They couldn’t afford to draw too much attention to themselves in the daemon infested caves.  They didn’t have to go very far before they came upon the first body. A young man who looked like he’d been torn apart by goblins.  It wasn’t pretty. Iris made a faintly horrified sound, but when he looked at her, her expression was stoic.

“There could still be survivors,” he offered hopefully, even though he knew how slim those chances were.  They continued on and made it much further than Noctis would have expected before they came across their first sighting of daemons.  A small group of goblins that were dispatched pretty easily. Still no more bodies, however. Noctis began to grow a little more optimistic.

Of course their luck could not last and they eventually came to a fork in the path with no sign of which tunnel they should go down.  If they chose wrong they might never find the survivors, or be too late to help them. Splitting up definitely wasn’t an option. If he’d been with Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto maybe, but not with Iris. 

“Flip a coin?” Iris offered, and Noctis nearly considered that option.  But a sudden scream followed by a deafening roar of a daemon made their choice for them.  They ran down the left path, and Noctis hoped they’d made the right choice and the direction they’d heard the screams coming from wasn’t the result of strange acoustics in the caves bouncing the sound around. 

As they ran Noctis noticed the walls of the cave were becoming sticky, and he was soon having to cut through large spider webs in order for them to proceed.  He realized immediately what daemon they were about to face, and sure enough they finally stumbled into a large underground chamber, covered in webs, and a large arachne was weaving a cocoon around her latest victim. 

He noticed some of the newer cocoons were still squirming slightly, its captured prey still alive for the moment, and Noctis didn’t hesitate closing the distance between him and the large daemon with a warp strike.  The arachne dropped its half-formed cocoon with a screech and turned to block his attack with supernatural speed. Her long talloned legs slashed at him but he was able to phase through the attacks and warp away again.  At least he now had the daemons complete attention, like he’d hoped.

“Iris!  Cut them out of the cocoons and get out of here!” he yelled, as he blocked a quick series of strikes from the arachne.  Iris quickly rushed over to the nearest squirming cocoon and began to cut through the thick webbing with a knife. Unfortunately the arachne saw her and let out a screech of rage, prepared to charge, but Noctis was there to block her path and beat her back. 

Iris managed to get the first survivor free, though he seemed a little out of it, probably from lack of oxygen.  He began helping Iris to free the next survivor however while Noctis continued to keep the arachne busy.  The daemon roared in rage loud enough to send particles of dirt raining down from the ceiling. The cavern wasn’t nearly as stable as Noctis would have liked, but there wasn’t much he could do about that. 

The next survivor was free, an elderly woman who fell to the ground gasping for air.  Only two more to go. The sound of Iris suddenly screaming distracted Noctis badly however, nearly giving the arachne the chance to decapitate him if he hadn’t warped away in time.  Unfortunately Noctis could only watch in horror as dozens of tarantulas as big as dogs began crawling out of every crack and crevice in the cave walls, quickly swarming Iris and the survivors.  Iris was holding them off for now, but she wouldn’t be able to for long.

Before he could warp to her aid, the arachne took advantage of his distraction and struck him hard in the shoulder, sending him flying into one of the cave walls.  His head cracked painfully on the stone and left him feeling dazed where he fell.

“Noctis!” he couldn’t tell if Iris’ shout was fear for him, or a cry for help. 


	3. Chapter 3

One moment, Noctis was staring dazedly up at the arachne that gave a hissing laugh at his helplessness, Iris’ scream ringing in his ears.  The next, the daemon made an ear splitting screech of pain and reared back from a blow that Noctis never saw coming. Suddenly, there was a familiar pair of red and black armored boots standing between him and the flailing daemon.

“Didn’t think I’d see you again so soon, pretty boy,” Aranea Highwind said, giving Noctis a brief look over her shoulder.  Her tone always seemed to hover somewhere between fond and mocking, but this time it seemed almost tinged with concern.

“Iris…” Noctis muttered as he struggled to get up.  Aranea frowned.

“Don’t worry, highness.  We’ve got this,” she said, then turned her attention fully back to the daemon.  Noctis heard the sound of gunshots and he looked over to see several of the large tarantulas fall to well placed shots from Aranea’s men.  Iris looked fine. Shaken, but fine. Thank the gods. Her eyes met his through the chaos and she looked as relieved as he felt.

Sooner than he was expecting, it was over.  Aranea took out the arachne with very little trouble, which wasn’t surprising.  Spearing the daemon through it’s humanoid chest with her long lance it crumbled to the cave floor with a garbled wail.  The tarantulas started to scatter after that, no longer under the daemon’s command, and there were only a few stubborn spiders that needed to be killed after that.  Aranea’s men took care of freeing the final two survivors as Iris rushed to Noctis’ side.

“Noct!  Are you alright?” Iris asked worriedly as she helped him to sit up against the cave wall.  He nodded, even though it sent a skull splitting pain through his head when he did. Great, a concussion was all he needed.  Gladio was going to kill him… Iris didn’t look all that reassured by his claims either.

“You’re bleeding…” she pointed out. Noctis’ hand went to the back of his head, and he hissed softly.  That was going to definitely be one hell of a bump later, but he didn’t feel any blood in his hair. It was then he realized that Iris was staring with concern at his face, and his hand moved to under his nose instead, which he realized was steadily dripping.  Damn it.

“Guess that happens when you’re punched in the face by a giant spider,” he attempted to joke as he fished out a potion from his pocket.  Iris was still frowning at him but she relaxed a little when he broke the potion and the bleeding stopped. His head started to feel better too, which was a plus.  Iris still insisted on helping him to his feet, however.

Noctis turned to Aranea who was watching them with mild curiosity. 

“Not that I’m not grateful, but what are you doing here?” he asked.  

“Happened to be in the area when we got the call for any available hunter to head immediately to the mines for an emergency.  Lucky you,” she said with a slight shrug, as though it wasn’t one hell of a miracle that she and her men had shown up just in time.  But Noctis wasn’t about to complain either. Aranea turned her attention to Iris, “And who might you be?”

“Iris Amicitia,” she said a little hesitantly, looking back and forth between Noctis and Aranea.  Probably wondering how Noctis knew this strange woman.

“She’s a friend,” Noctis reassured Iris, who relaxed at his words.  Aranea gave a soft laugh.

“More like acquaintances,” Aranea corrected, though her tone was almost fond, “Amicitia? Oh, you must be the big one’s sister then.” 

“That’s right,” Iris replied.

“Hmm… those were some pretty nice moves back there.  Could use a little work, but, you’ve got potential. Let me know if you want a few pointers later on,” Aranea said, surprising Noctis.  Even more surprising was the bright blush that stained Iris’ cheeks at the praise.

“T-thank you,” she stammered.  Aranea smiled, then turned back to Noctis.

“You should know, we weren’t the only one who received the call for hunters in the area.  I noticed a familiar classic car speeding this way from the ship,” Aranea said, and Noctis cursed softly.  He’d rather hoped he wouldn’t have to explain himself to Gladio and the others until they were already back in Lestallum and Noctis had a chance to clean up first.  So much for that…

“Shit…” he muttered, and even Iris winced in sympathy. 

One of Aranea’s men approached and announced that the four survivors had been treated for only minor injuries and were ready to move.  That at least was a relief to hear. At least they’d managed to save some of them.

“I say we get out of here before any more daemons show up,” Aranea suggested.  Noctis nodded in agreement. Though he was far more worried about his soon to be extremely pissed off shield/lover than the daemons at the moment. 

* * *

“You took my little sister to a fucking daemon infested cave!” Gladio’s shout reverberated loudly off the walls in their hotel room and made Noctis wince as his head throbbed in pain.  While the potion he’d used had taken care of the worst of the damage, he knew from experience he would probably still have a headache for a few days, a residual effect from the concussion.  His only consolation was that at least Gladio had waited until they were alone to finally let loose on him.

The Regalia had pulled up to the entrance of the mines just as they were being helped out of the collapsed cavern by Aranea’s men.  His friends had been understandably shocked to see the two of them there. Prompto had immediately rushed over and started fussing over him despite Noctis’ reassurances that he was fine.  Ignis was only slightly better composed, but offered Noctis a damp handkerchief to clean the blood off of his face at least.

At first Gladio had seemed torn between going to him or to his sister.  But in the end he’d rushed to Iris’ side, acting like a mother hen.  She had to continuously reassure the older man that she was fine and all she needed was a good bath.  While she sported a few scratches on her arms and legs, she’d made it through the ordeal rather lightly, thank the gods.  That didn’t stop Gladio from throwing Noctis looks that ranged between worried and furious between one moment to the next. 

The ride back to Lestallum in the Regalia had been… tense.  To say the least.

Ignis had wanted Noctis to return to the hospital as soon as they reached Lestallum.  Noctis had flat out refused. As soon as the car was parked, he was out of the Regalia and making his way to the hotel, ignoring his friend’s protests otherwise.  Gladio, surprisingly, had said nothing during that time. Simply followed after Noctis silently to the hotel. Unfortunately the silence only lasted as long as it took to shut the door to their shared room.  Then Gladio exploded.

Noctis was tired, sore, and filthy.  His skin itched from the combination of dried blood, sweat, and daemon ichor. His skin was probably a spectacular combination of black and blue beneath his clothes.  He  wanted nothing more than to take a long hot shower, and then spend the rest of the day in bed, hopefully with Gladio’s arms around him.  Too bad he probably wasn’t going to get the latter any time soon.

“You act like I thought this was a good idea for a date, or something.  There were people in danger. I tried to get her to stay behind, but she refused,” Noctis explained as he sat heavily down on the edge of the bed. 

“You shouldn’t have been there either!” Gladio shouted, looming over him like a fucking thundercloud.  His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides as though he were resisting the urge to grab and shake Noctis by the neck.  It brought up some very bad memories, “Damn it! What the hell were you thinking!”

“What was I thinking?!” Noctis shouted as he stood up again in a rush.  He hated that he still had to look up to Gladio when they stood toe to toe like this.  He shoved hard at the other man’s chest and to his fury Gladio barely moved an inch, “People were in danger!  They were in danger because of _me_! I thought this was what you _wanted_ !  For me to act like a _king_! For me to stop thinking about only _myself_ !  To stop being a _coward_ and take _responsibility_ !  What the hell do you want from me!” 

Gladio stared at him slacked jawed, confusion written all over his face, and who could really blame him?  After all, this was the continuation of an argument that hadn’t actually happened yet. But right now Noctis wasn’t thinking all too clearly and all of the fears and doubts he’d been enduring silently ever since he’d arrived in this time were beginning to boil over. 

“What the hell, Noct?  What happened there wasn’t _your fault,_ and I don’t think you’re a coward…” Gladio stammered, and it was all Noct could do not to take a swing at his stupid confused face.

“Yes, you do!”

“No I don’t, and don’t tell me what I think!” Gladio shouted back in frustration, then visibly attempted to reign himself in.  He ran his fingers through his long dark hair and started pacing back and forth. Noctis stood there, his hands curled into tight fists at his side, shaking with barely contained emotion.  A soft knock on the door interrupted them, but hardly diffused the situation.

“What!” Gladio snapped, and after a moment the door to their hotel room swung open.  They hadn’t even remembered to lock it. Ignis stood there, looking about as uncomfortable as Noctis had ever seen him.  He looked between Gladio and Noctis.

“I’ve been advised by the manager that there have been complaints from other guests about the noise level.  He has requested that it cease, lest we wish to find other accommodations,” Ignis informed them plainly. Gladio growled something unintelligible under his breath, and Noctis turned to stalk towards to the en-suite bathroom.

“Noct!” Gladio’s shout went ignored, and he slammed the bathroom door behind him.  Gladio didn’t follow him, and Noctis didn’t know whether to feel relief or disappointment.  He stood in front of the mirror, his hands braced on the cool porcelain sink and hung his head as the first sob ripped from his throat. 

He began to strip off his clothes slowly.  They stuck to his bruised skin in some places, making Noctis wince.  As he’d suspected, his shoulder and back were an impressive series of bruises, though thanks to the potion they were mostly ugly brown and yellow splotches rather than deep purple.  Still hurt like a bitch though.

Noctis went to the shower and turned it on as hot as he could stand.  When he got inside the hot water stung, but also felt like heaven. He ducked his head underneath the spray and let it wash over his head and shoulders.  A few moments later he heard the sound of the bathroom door opening, but he didn’t move either to acknowledge or deny the intruder.

There was a long moment of silence, then Noctis heard the sound of someone getting undressed.  The shower door slid open and Gladio stepped in behind him. The stall really wasn’t meant for two people, especially if one of them was Gladio’s size.  But Noctis didn’t tell him to leave.

He heard the older man sigh softly and then felt the light brush of fingertips over his unbruised shoulder.  Noctis shivered slightly but he didn’t pull away. The fingers traveled feather-light down his spine and then slipped around his waist.  Gladio gently pulled him back towards his body, and Noctis didn’t have the will to resist.

After a moment he felt the warm brush of lips against the back of his bowed neck.  Noctis closed his eyes and resisted the tears that tried to fall.

“I want you to be safe,” Gladio finally murmured softly against his skin. 

“What?”

“You asked me what I wanted… I want… you to be safe, and not go off and do stupid shit like that… at least not when I’m not around to watch your back,” Gladio’s rough words were contrasted by the gentle kisses he kept raining down on his neck and shoulders.  Gladio’s fingers pressed into his hips, igniting a flame underneath his skin despite their harsh words to each other.

“You won’t always be there,” Noctis muttered, even as a whimper escaped his throat when Gladio pressed his half hard cock against his lower back.  In response, Gladio urged him to turn around. One hand cupped Noctis’ face to tilt it up, while the other remained at his waist holding him close.  Gladio’s eyes burned into his like molten gold.

“I will be if you _let_ me,” he whispered before claiming Noctis’ lips in a soul searing kiss. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically 4k words worth of porn. Next few chapters will probably be a lot more plot heavy.

_One day you won’t be able to protect me.  
_

The words were on the tip of his tongue but Noctis held them back.  Gladio wouldn’t understand and it would only cause them both unnecessary pain.  He’d probably think that Noctis was doubting his abilities as his shield, and he didn’t want to do that to Gladio.  That kind of self doubt had nearly cost Gladio his life once already. Noctis had never doubted the older man’s abilities, even when Gladio doubted himself.  He knew, no matter what, Gladio would always stand by him and protect him until the end…

But it was a simple fact that one day Noctis would be forced to leave him.  He would have to go where Gladio couldn’t follow him. He would need to fight a battle where Gladio couldn’t help him.  Whether Noctis won the final battle against Ardyn or not, his life was forfeit. A necessary sacrifice to bring back the dawn.  His fate had been decided for him since the moment he was born and there was nothing that Gladio could do to change that.

It was the exact opposite of everything Gladio had believed in his whole life.  For generations it had been the duty of the Amicitia family to protect the line of kings.  A shield’s duty was to remain at their king’s side until the very end. To die for their king if need be.  Just as Gladio’s father had died beside _his_ King.  But one day Gladio would _need_ to let him go and continue on.  Noctis knew that would be hard for the man to accept, but he also knew that one day Gladio would understand.  He would come to accept it just as Noctis had accepted it.

But today wasn’t that day. 

Today Noctis wanted to forget about his imminent death.  He wanted to kiss Gladio until his lips ached. He wanted the feeling of Gladio’s hot flesh pressed against his own forever burned into his memory.  He wanted his lover’s hands and mouth to map every inch of his skin until no region was left unexplored. He wanted to feel Gladio inside of him again, claiming his body and soul in a way no other ever had. He wanted to forget, if only for a short while, his destiny and remember what it felt like to be _alive_ . 

For so many years inside the crystal Noctis felt like he’d hovered somewhere between life and death.  Even once he had returned, he still felt more ‘gone’ from the world than present. Maybe that had been intentional.  Maybe that disconnected feeling was meant to make it easier for him to make the final sacrifice. To let go of the world he no longer felt a part of.  Once again Noctis couldn’t help but wonder if this ‘gift’ had merely been some kind of test. A test he was currently failing, because the longer he remained, the harder it would be for him to let go...

Noctis pushed those thoughts away ruthlessly.  Determined to only focus on what was happening here and now.  A low moan of pure need left his throat as Noctis dragged his blunt nails lightly up Gladio’s chest and over his shoulders.  His fingers tangled in the older man’s long wet hair and tugged hard enough to break their kiss. He felt Gladio’s warm breath panting over his lips and it was all Noctis could do not to immediately seal their mouths back together to taste and explore until they both ran out of air.  Instead he forced Gladio to bend down so he could kiss along the older man’s jaw to his ear. Gladio’s hands squeezed his ass and his fingers inched closer and closer to where Noctis really wanted them. Noctis hitched one leg around Gladio’s hip to help steady himself, as well as give the older man better access to him.  He whimpered when he felt the older man’s fingers trace around his quivering hole.

“I want you inside me,” Noctis breathed into Gladio’s ear and the older man’s low growl in response was probably the sexiest thing he’d ever heard.  He felt Gladio’s teeth nip sharply at the junction of his neck and he shuddered in response. One of Gladio’s fingers pushed inside of him with little preamble and Noctis bit his lip as it began working in and out of him. 

He was still sore and a bit raw from last night, and the water alone wasn’t doing much to ease the friction inside of him.  At the same time, he didn’t care. He _wanted_ to feel it.  The burning stretch.  The throbbing ache in time with his pulse.  Long after they were done, he wanted to still feel it.  Whenever he walked, sat, or laid down, he wanted to remember what it was like for Gladio to fill his body so completely.  

Sooner than he was expecting, Gladio pulled out his fingers and forced him to turn around.  His legs were kicked apart and Noctis braced his hands on the wall as warm water rained down his back and over his ass.  Like this, with Gladio pressed so fully up against his back, curled over him, Noctis was reminded again just how _big_ the other man really was. 

With the man being nearly a foot taller than him and twice as wide, Gladio practically dwarfed him.  Gladio could _literally_ use his body to shield him from practically anything, and it had always made Noctis feel safe.  Now was no exception. Gladio was strong enough that he could easily break Noctis in half if he wanted to, but he knew the man never would.  The older man’s large hands were nothing but gentle as they roamed down his body to settle on his hips, fingers splayed so wide they practically engulfed his waist.

Was this what people called having a size kink?  It was a little embarrassing that it had taken Noctis this long to realize it, but… There was something undeniably arousing knowing that if Gladio wanted to fuck him this way Noctis would have to stand on the very tips of his toes, leaving most of his balance and support completely in Gladio’s hands.  Or the other man could simply lift him up and hold him in place against the wall while he fucked him, which would be pretty hot too.

Noctis didn’t know which to expect or hope for, so he was a bit surprised to feel Gladio’s mouth start on a path down his back, soft lips following the path of the water down his body.  His tongue slid along his shoulder blades and along the line of his spine as Gladio knelt behind him. Noctis felt the slick muscle trace over the old scar on his back and he shivered slightly in spite of himself.  Even after all this time the area was a bit numb and the experience wasn’t a pleasant thing to be reminded of. Gladio squeezed his hips affectionately and kissed the edges of the faded scar as though making a silent promise.

_Never again._

Noctis rested his forehead against the wall as silent tears slipped from the corners of his eyes.   He was grateful for the water that masked them, not wanting to explain them. As Gladio’s mouth continued downwards he pressed lingering kisses to the curve of his ass and Noctis’ heart began to beat faster when he felt Gladio’s fingers part his cheeks.  Even as his stomach fluttered in anticipation he wasn’t quite prepared when that wicked tongue traced between them. Noctis’ breath caught in his throat when his lover’s tongue delved intimately inside of him.

“Gladio!” Noctis practically choked on the older man’s name, his knees almost giving out in surprised pleasure, but thankfully Gladio had been anticipating such a reaction and was ready to steady him.  He heard and felt the other man chuckle, the vibrations doing sinful things inside his body and Noctis whined in response.

“I take it you like that,” Gladio stopped licking around his rim to mutter, sounding way too smug for his own good.  For once, Noctis didn’t give a damn.

“Fuck, yes,” he panted, pushing his hips back silently begging for more and Gladio obliged.  The soft tongue lapped teasingly around the tightly puckered flesh, urging him to relax. Not as easy as it sounded as each soft wet touch seemed to ignite every nerve in Noctis’ body.  The tip of the tongue pressing inside of him made Noctis’ whole body shudder and his cock drip. He was so aroused from seemingly so little stimulation. When the tongue started thrusting in and out of him Noctis bit his lip to stop himself from screaming. 

His hips rocked back and forth of their own accord.  Unable to gain any kind of friction in front, his body mostly focused on pressing back into the mouth on his ass.  He felt Gladio’s fingers slip between his legs to cup his balls and gently massage the sensitive flesh. Gladio’s thumb pressed against his rim, pulling him further apart, to allow his tongue even deeper.  Noctis wasn’t sure if he could come from this alone, but it was a damn near thing. Honestly he’d always thought rimming sounded a bit on the disgusting side of sex. He never imagined it could feel this good.  Gladio certainly seemed to be enjoying himself, given the sounds the older man was making as he ate him out.

Far too soon for his liking, Gladio’s mouth pulled back, leaving Noctis wet, empty, and aching.  Noctis whined in complaint and received a sharp smack on his ass that really did nothing to cool his blood.  In fact his dick twitched in rather obvious interest as the older man massaged his stinging flesh. Noctis realized he might have issues.  Or at least a lot more kinks than he had previously realized. Probably not surprising given his general lack of experience though.

“Gladio, please…” Noctis whispered as he looked back over his shoulder at the older man still on his knees behind him. 

“Take it easy, we’ve got the rest of the day to ourselves.  I told you I’d make it up to you,” Gladio said calmly as he rubbed two fingers teasingly back and forth over his wet hole.  Noctis whimpered and tried to push back on those fingers, to take them inside of himself. But Gladio stubbornly pulled them back.  Only allowing the very tips of the blunt digits to press inside past his rim. Barely stretching him before pulling out and leaving Noctis clenching around nothing.  He did it over and over again, each time making Noctis grow even more aroused and frustrated at the same time.

When those fingers finally pushed deeper inside of him, curling and rubbing teasingly over his prostate, Noctis nearly shouted in relief.  His whole body seeming to vibrate like a tuning fork. Only for the fingers to pull out again, leaving him empty and nearly sobbing in need. 

“Gladio please… fuck… please just…” Noctis begged unashamed, and the fingers returned, pushing in deep and rubbing inside of him in a way that made sparks flash behind his eyelids.  Noctis’ body clenched tightly around the fingers, as though that might stop them from disappearing again. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case, and when they pulled out of him again, Noctis growled and pounded the shower wall with his fist. 

“What the hell are you doing!” Noctis practically snarled in frustration, glaring behind and down at Gladio who merely smirked up at him. 

“Enjoying the view,” Gladio replied, sounding both teasing and genuine at the same time.  Noctis barely resisted the urge to kick him.

“Gladio if you don’t fucking fuck me right now, I swear…”

“You’ll what?” Gladio taunted. 

Noctis growled again, and finally realized there was nothing really stopping him from getting off by himself if Gladio wasn’t going to do it.  Even though that wasn’t really the way he wanted to come right now, he was getting desperate enough to do it. In fact, one of his hands slid down to do just that, but before his fingers could do much more than brush the sensitive skin of his cock, Gladio was grabbing his hand and pinning it behind his back by the wrist.  His other hand reached back to smack at Gladio in frustration, but that one was caught as well, and soon both of his wrists were pinned behind him by one of Gladio’s large hands. Noctis struggled briefly but it was half hearted at best.

“Done?” Gladio asked once he relaxed.  Noctis nodded, and Gladio’s free hand slid comfortingly along his thigh, as though to sooth a wild animal, “Good. Now, if you promise not to come until I say, I’ll stop teasing you.  Can you do that for me, baby?”

Noctis nodded again eagerly, and Gladio pressed a soft kiss to his hip as a reward.  Gladio’s hand remained holding his trapped wrists against the base of his spine, but it was a loose hold at best.  One that Noctis could easily break if he really wanted to. Noctis found he didn’t want to, however, as he stood there, as patiently as he was currently capable of, while Gladio’s free hand continued to slide slowly down the outside of one thigh, and then back up the inside. 

Noctis parted his legs even more in invitation, one of his shoulders resting against the wall as he twisted to look over his other shoulder at what Gladio was doing.  Gladio began fondling his balls again and Noctis was surprised how heavy and aching they felt. A single finger traced up the underside of his dick from base to tip and then back down. 

“Gladio…” Noctis whimpered and nearly sobbed when Gladio finally pressed two fingers back inside of him as far as they could go.  They found his prostate easily and curled against the sensitive bundle of nerves over and over. Stroking and circling around and around, making Noctis’ legs tremble as pleasure spiked deep inside him again and again. 

“Good?” Gladio asked softly, and Noctis nodded, his eyelids fluttering and increasingly loud moans spilling from his lips every time the fingers moved inside him.  Gladio shifted and then his thumb began to press against the sensitive skin behind his balls, at the same time the fingers curled inside of him, stroking his prostate from the outside as well as within.  Noctis’ entire body shuddered and a helpless wail left his mouth as precum dribbled from the tip of his cock. But somehow he managed not to come.

“Quiet now.  You remember what Iggy said.  Don’t want to be kicked out of the hotel now do you?” the older man teased, and as much as Noctis hated to admit it, he was right.  He definitely didn’t want to get kicked out of their room _now_ of all times.  At least not before he could convince Gladio to screw him through the mattress.  It just wouldn’t be the same on the hard stone of a haven, and not to mention having Ignis and Prompto within earshot would probably kill the mood. 

So Noctis bit his lip to muffle the desperate sounds spilling from them as Gladio continued to play with his body.  But the longer it continued the more Noctis worried he wasn’t going to be able to stop himself from coming. Even though it was only Gladio’s fingers inside of him, it felt so good.  Gladio wouldn’t have to touch his dick at all to make him come.

He heard Gladio chuckle softly behind him.

“If I knew a little fingering was all it would take to make you listen to instructions, I’d have started doing it years ago,” Gladio teased him, and while a part of him wanted to kick the man for his insolence, a larger part of Noctis unmistakably aroused at the implications. 

Noctis knew the man was mostly joking, but at the same time, Gladio had admitted already that he’d wanted _this_ for longer than he should have.  What if Noctis had gone back further in time? Back to Insomnia before… everything.  If Noctis had been bold enough to proposition Gladio for sex at sixteen or seventeen, would his shield have given in? 

Realistically?  No. Gladio was far too honorable for that.  He _never_ would have touched Noctis until he was at least legal age, no matter how much Noctis might beg him otherwise.  Never mind Gladio would probably have been too afraid of either of King Regis, or his own father, having him castrated if he even _thought_ about touching the crown prince that way, even if Noctis had asked him to.  Which Noctis wouldn’t have. Not then. He’d been far too shy and conflicted about what he really wanted.  It wasn’t until Noctis was nearly thirty, and had many years to himself to reflect back on all his missed opportunities, that he realized just how much Gladio meant to him.  It wasn’t until his life was nearly at its end that he found the courage to take that chance...

Still, it was undeniably arousing to think about what it might have been like.  Noctis recalled testing the authority of his shield, advisor, and especially his father quite a few times.  Blowing off his duties to laze around, play video games, or sneak off with Prompto when he shouldn’t have. Basically behaving like an average spoiled teenage brat. Gladio and Iggy were often left to deal with his little rebellions, and had plenty of ways to punish him whenever he was in a such a mood.  What if one of those times Gladio had gotten fed up, taken him by the scruff of the neck, and bent him over his lap. What if the older teen had pulled down his pants, shoved his fingers inside of him one by one until Noctis was left writhing in pleasure and begging, promising to behave if only Gladio let him come…

“Oh gods…” Noctis whined, clenching around the fingers inside of him as his body trembled, so close to the edge.  The fingers inside him stopped moving and he whined again at the lack of stimulation. He forced his eyes open to find Gladio looking up at him almost in awe.

“Don’t tell me you’re actually thinking about it,” the older man breathed, and Noctis nodded shamelessly. 

“Fucking Astrals,” Gladio cursed, and Noctis sobbed when Gladio’s fingers suddenly left his body, leaving him empty and so very needy. 

“Gladio, please… I need… please…”

Gladio was on his feet and soothing his palms along his thighs before he could complain too much however.  He turned at Gladio’s urging, but left his hands where they were, crossed against his lower back, if only because he loved the way the other man looked at him when he did it. 

It didn’t take much effort for Gladio to lift him off his feet, most of Noctis’ weight supported by the wall behind him, and by the older man’s hands under his thighs.  Noctis hooked his legs around Gladio’s hips for added stability, but otherwise left everything completely in Gladio’s hands. Quite literally. Gladio pressed a series of kisses along his jaw, and Noctis tilted his head back against the wall to give him better access. 

“Just so you know…” Gladio murmured, rubbing the tip of his cock back and forth over his opening teasingly, “If you ever take my little sister daemon hunting again, I’m going to kick your ass from one end of Eos to the other.”

Noctis groaned softly in frustration, then gasped as Gladio suddenly filled him with one quick thrust, stretching his body to the limit.  It took Noctis several moments of gasping before he could formulate a reply.

“If this… is supposed to be some kind of deterrent… I don’t think it’s very effective,” Noctis moaned as Gladio pulled back and snapped his hips forward again hard, practically knocking the air out of his lungs. Noctis’ body instinctively clenched around the invasion, and Gladio moaned against his ear.

“I’m serious, Noct,” Gladio growled as he started to fuck Noctis with short deep thrusts, making it difficult for Noctis to speak through the moans constantly spilling from his lips.

“I promise… to only take you daemon hunting… from now on.  Now will you please…” Noctis’ voice was choked off with a cry when Gladio shifted and his cock began to rub firmly against his prostate with every thrust. 

“Please, what?” Gladio asked, and stopped moving.  Noctis groaned in frustration, clenching around the hard flesh still buried deep inside of him.

“Are we going to fight, or are you going to fuck me!” Noctis growled and Gladio had the nerve to chuckle as he rolled his hips teasingly against his ass.  Noctis bit his lip and whined.

“Don’t you know that make up sex is the best part about fighting?”

“Why don’t we just skip to that part then?” Noctis shot back. 

“What do you think I’m doing?”

“Not fucking- Ahh!” Noctis’ words were once more cut off with a near shout of pleasure, but since it was because Gladio started fucking him again harder and faster than before he wasn’t about to complain.  His balls began to tighten and he felt his orgasm quickly approaching. Before he could tumble over the edge however, he felt Gladio’s hand tighten around the base of his cock, holding the building pressure at bay. 

“Remember what I said,” Gladio’s voice was rough and sounded just as wrecked as Noctis felt, “Don’t come until I say.”

Noctis whimpered.  It was torture. It was the best thing he’d ever felt in his life.  Being held right there on the edge, unable to fall over. He felt feverish, every nerve inside him on fire.  His body trembled uncontrollably every time Gladio thrust into him and he couldn’t stop the desperate moans that spilled from his throat if he tried. 

“Gladio… Gladio please… I can’t…”

Gladio pressed a kiss to the corner of his open mouth and then licked inside.  Noctis could barely reciprocate, he felt so overwhelmed.

“Make me come, baby.  When I come, you can come,” Gladio whispered against his lips and Noctis could only moan.  He wasn’t sure exactly what the older man wanted him to do, but when the head of his cock rubbed hard over his prostate and his body clenched instinctively in response, Gladio moaned in approval.  So Noctis did it again, this time on purpose, squeezing and relaxing his muscles around his lover’s cock while Gladio fucked him. Practically milking the hard flesh inside of him.

“That’s it,” Gladio praised, gasping sharply.  It didn’t take long after that, and with a few final deep thrusts, Noctis felt the hot rush of his lovers cum filling his body.  Gladio’s groan of satisfaction made Noctis whimper and his cock throbbed in response. Then finally, finally, Gladio released his hold on his cock and whispered tenderly in his ear.

“Come for me now, baby,” and Noctis did.  His head thrown back, his mouth open in a silent cry, as thick ropes of cum spilled between their bodies.  He was still shuddering hard in orgasm when he felt Gladio’s softening cock slip out of him and the older man gently lowered him to stand once again.  Even though his legs didn’t really want to support him in that moment.

Noctis rested his forehead in the crook of Gladio’s neck, gasping softly, and resting nearly his entire weight against the older man.  One of Gladio’s hands rested at the base of his spine, supporting him, while the other ran soothingly along the back of his neck. He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that. Long enough for the water to shift from hot to only lukewarm.  Gladio began to carefully wash the cum from them both, their stomachs and from between his legs. Noctis didn’t offer much in the way of help except to loop his arms around the older man’s shoulders for support while Gladio worked.

He was nearly dozing where he stood when he felt and heard the water shut off, Gladio chuckle warmly, and then he was being lifted in a bridal carry.  He was dried quickly and then Gladio carried him out of the bathroom to the bedroom. Noctis didn’t bother to even open his eyes until he was laid gently down on the bed, and he felt Gladio’s lips brush over his eyelids.  Even then, he only slit them open enough to gaze up at the older man’s face hovering close over his own.

“There you are, how you feeling?” Gladio asked warmly, his fingers trailing lightly down Noctis’ chest and stomach. 

“Good,” Noctis murmured, arching into the touch like a cat.  Gladio kissed him gently.

“Good.  Get some sleep.  You need it,” Gladio told him, then stretched out on the bed beside Noctis.  Noctis curled into the warmth of his shield’s body and allowed his eyes to slip closed again.  He fell asleep to the feeling of Gladio’s hand rubbing up and down the length of his back. A few hours later he woke up to the feeling of the older man’s lips wrapped around his cock and his fingers inside him, and he decided Gladio was right about something.

Make up sex was definitely awesome.  


End file.
